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The Initial Upper Paleolithic from Tolbor-16, Mongolia: characteristics of the lithic assemblage and their evolutionary implications

dc.contributor.authorZwyns, Nicolas
dc.contributor.authorTsedendorj, Bolorbat
dc.contributor.authorPaine, Clea H.
dc.contributor.authorFlas, Damien
dc.contributor.authorDavaakhuu, Odsuren
dc.contributor.authorAllshouse, Aurora F.
dc.contributor.authorGantumur, Angaragdulguun
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Kevin N.
dc.contributor.authorByambaa, Gunchinsuren
dc.contributor.authorGalfi, Jovan
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-04T09:15:07Z
dc.date.available2024-10-04T09:15:07Z
dc.date.issued2024-07-02
dc.description.abstractAccording to fossil evidence, the Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) refers to archaeological assemblages associated with the early dispersal of Homo sapiens across Eurasia. These assemblages are often described as exhibiting a combination of Middle and Upper Paleolithic typo-technological features or, more broadly, as a technology in progression from the former to the latter. Genetic evidence indicates that as members of our species moved across Europe and Asia, they encountered Neanderthal, Denisovan, and possibly other local populations. At the Eurasian scale, the IUP shows considerable variation, but to what extent this corresponds to a relatively unified cultural package strictly associated with our species, or a suite of unrelated technologies reflecting the complex dynamics of a global population turnover, remains unclear. Like most archaeological assemblages, however, the IUP illustrates a combination of adaptive and normative behaviors, along with some stochastic variation. Here, we investigate what drives typo-technological variation within an IUP assemblage to identify traits relevant for larger scale inter-regional comparisons. Specifically, we describe a lithic assemblage dated to ca. 45 ka cal BP from the site of Tolbor-16 in northern Mongolia. We identify three defining aspects of the IUP at the site, namely variation in core shape and size, patterns of blade core reduction, and the presence of Middle Paleolithic typo-technological features. Our goal is to clarify the influence of dynamic reduction processes on assemblage composition and, within the variation observed, to identify typo-technological features that are relevant for inter-regional comparisons and scenarios of population dispersal.eng
dc.description.sponsorshipMax Planck Society Leakey Foundation Hellman Foundation UC Davis Academic Senate National Science Foundation (NSF) 1560784 Fyssen Foundation
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s41982-024-00182-2
dc.identifier.issn2520-8217
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/25994
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Paleolithic Archaeology
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectHomo sapiens dispersal
dc.subjectAsiaStone tools
dc.subjectTechnology
dc.subjectMongolia
dc.subjectVariability
dc.titleThe Initial Upper Paleolithic from Tolbor-16, Mongolia: characteristics of the lithic assemblage and their evolutionary implicationseng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue1
oaire.citation.titleJournal of Paleolithic Archaeology
oaire.citation.volume7
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameGalfi
person.givenNameJovan
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-2829-8430
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationb1de1971-bc42-4cde-9d66-33995007a0d3
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoveryb1de1971-bc42-4cde-9d66-33995007a0d3

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